Ahmedabad: The CBI, investigating the
fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and alleged murder of his
wife Kauserbi, has summoned six IPS officers for questioning
sometime next week, an official said today.

"We have called in some IPS officers who were part of
the earlier investigation in the case for questioning," a CBI
official told PTI here.

They include Geetha Johri, who was the Investigating
Officer when the case was being probed by the State CID,
according to CBI sources.

The central agency has also called Rajneesh Rai, who
was the one who had arrested three IPS officers, D G Vanzara,
Rajkumar Pandian and Dinesh M N, considered to be main
conspirators behind the encounter of Sheikh and disappearance
of his wife Kauserbi in November 2005, they said.

Two former chiefs of Gujarat CID and the current head
of the state agency, which was investigating the case before
it was handed over to the CBI, have also been called for
questioning, the sources said.

While V V Rabari is the present head of CID, his
predecessors were G C Raigar and O P Mathur.

The sixth officer is Girish Singhal, currently with
Gujarat`s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Singhal was Gandinagar
SP when the encounter took place.

Two days ago, the CBI arrested DCP Abhay Chudasama,
the fourth IPS officer held in the case.

Pandiyan says bail wrongly denied by SC

Pandiyan, meanwhile, contended
before the Supreme Court that it has dismissed his bail
petitions twice without hearing him.

He alleged he was in illegal custody for
the last three years as the orders against him and other
accused were passed without hearing them.

"He is in illegal custody because of this court which
passed ex-parte orders. The orders were passed without hearing
me. Two orders were passed without the four accused being
heard," senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, appearing for
Pandiyan, submitted before a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G
Balakrishnan.

However, at the outset, the Bench said that instead of
approaching the apex court, the accused could have moved the
competent court for regular bail.

"You could have filed the regular bail application as the
chargesheet in the case has been filed," the Bench, also
comprising Justices Deepak Verma and H L Gokhle, said.

Jethmalani said the need for moving the apex court arose
as the accused was not getting bail from any other court due
to the earlier orders.

"Nobody is granting me bail, that is why I am here," he
said adding the man killed by the police was a gangster who
was a "greatest threat" to the country.

"Why are you not granting me bail?" he submitted.

When the Bench pacified him by giving the option that
that he can still move an application for the bail, Jethmalani
said the apex court should make it clear that the previous
orders of this court should not come in the way of considering
his fresh plea.

The Bench wanted to dispose of the bail petition but
Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium said he was appearing in
the matter as an amicus curiae and could not make submission
on behalf of the Centre.

The Bench wanted to hear the Centre before disposing of
the petition. It adjourned the hearing till Monday asking Solicitor
General to make available a counsel to represent the Centre.